Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an increasingly common diagnosis. Yet most behavioral health providers are unaware that they can play a role in both the assessment and treatment of OSA in their patients. Today we’re joined by an expert in the subfield of sleep psychology, Dr. Phil Gehrman. He shares basic information about what OSA is, how providers can effectively screen for it, and how they can facilitate treatment for this dangerous condition. Despite what you might have heard before, Dr. Gehrman posits that behavioral health providers can play “a huge potential role that really is untapped.”

Dr. Phil Gehrman is Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He directs the Sleep, Neurobiology and Psychopathology lab at Penn. He has an active research program exploring the mechanisms and treatment of sleep and circadian dysregulation in the context of mental health disorders. Dr. Gehrman’s clinical specialization is on the delivery of cognitive behavioral and chronotherapeutic interventions for insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, and other sleep disorders. The overarching goal of his work is to advance the understanding of the links between sleep and mental illness through translational research that spans biology to therapeutics.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• STOP Screening tool for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: https://deploymentpsych.org/content/insomnia-tools
• Motivational Interviewing for CPAP Adherence: Rapelli G, Pietrabissa G, Manzoni GM, Bastoni I, Scarpina F, Tovaglieri I, Perger E, Garbarino S, Fanari P, Lombardi C and Castelnuovo G (2021) Improving CPAP Adherence in Adults With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: A Scoping Review of Motivational Interventions. Front. Psychol. 12:705364. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.705364
• Motivational Interviewing resources: https://deploymentpsych.org/Clinical-Skills-Resources
• Systematic desensitization: https://www.veterantraining.va.gov/insomnia/docs/PAP_Desensitization.pdf
• Practical for Your Practice voice mail: speakpipe.com/cdpp4p
• Practical for Your Practice email: cdp-podcast-ggg@usuhs.edu

Calls-to-action:

• Incorporate the STOP into your practice
• Become familiar with behavioral and motivational approaches listed above
• Connect with your local sleep medicine clinic
• Reach out to us via Speakpipe with your questions and comments
• Subscribe to the Practical for Your Practice Podcast
• Subscribe to The Center for Deployment Psychology Monthly Email at https://deploymentpsych.org/CDP-MED-Opt-In

Evidence-based psychotherapies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Processing Therapy, are the best tools we have to treat PTSD for most people–at least as long as those in need are able to access these therapies. A number of barriers may exist, such as availability of trained therapists, insurance coverage (or lack thereof), or even life stressors standing in the way. During the COVID-19 pandemic, trauma exposure exploded exponentially while at the same time access to care due to lockdowns and social distancing was severely diminished. In this episode of Practical for Your Practice, we chat with Dr. Sheila Rauch, one of the authors of the Prolonged Exposure Therapist Guide, about her many exciting projects to expand access to effective care for PTSD. As she explains, “the more doors that we have for people with PTSD to enter and get effective treatment, the more people are going to actually do that.” Join us for one of our new favorite episodes to hear about self-help approaches, PE in primary care, immediate interventions in emergency departments, and shifting the name of PE to “Processing Emotions.”

Sheila A.M. Rauch, Ph.D., ABPP, co-led design and now serves as Deputy Director of the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program and Director of Mental Health Research and Program Evaluation at the Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center. For over 20 years, Dr. Rauch’s work in VA and Academic Medical settings focuses on developing programs, conducting research, and providing PTSD and Anxiety Disorders treatment with the goal to improve access to effective mental health treatment. Her research focuses on examination of mechanisms involved in the development and treatment of PTSD and improving access to effective interventions. She has led several PTSD treatment outcome and mechanisms trials including pharmaceutical and therapy trials focused on moving interventions for PTSD into medical and primary care settings. She has published over 220 peer-reviewed scholarly articles as well as many chapters and six books on anxiety disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She developed an effective primary care based PTSD intervention that is in use across VA and many civilian settings and has also worked to get treatment out of the clinic and into the hands of those who need it with apps, self-guided workbooks, and web-based interventions. Her work examines neurobiology and factors involved in the development, maintenance, and treatment of anxiety disorders, psychosocial factors in medical settings, and the relation between physical health and anxiety. Her recent books include Retraining the Brain and Making Meaning of Difficult Experiences.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Rauch, S. A. M., & Rothbaum, B. O. (2023). Making Meaning of Difficult Experiences: A Self-Guided Program. Oxford University Press.
• Virtually Better. (2024). Messy Memories [Mobile app]. Available on Google Play and Apple App Store
• PE in Primary Care training: VA and military providers can reach out to Margaret.venners@va.gov for training, and civilian providers can reach out to jgarlick@med.umich.edu
• Practical for Your Practice voice mail: speakpipe.com/cdpp4p
• Practical for Your Practice email: cdp-podcast-ggg@usuhs.edu

Calls-to-action:

• Remember that emotions aren’t dangerous
• Get training in brief treatment models (e.g. PCPE. see above)
• Subscribe to the Practical for Your Practice Podcast
• Subscribe to The Center for Deployment Psychology Monthly Email at https://deploymentpsych.org/CDP-MED-Opt-In

Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death for youth aged 10 through 14. It’s a horrifying fact that has spurred providers into action. One of those providers is our guest on today’s episode. Allison Hannah, MSW, LCSW, has delivered evidence-based suicide prevention interventions to youth, from elementary school-aged children to teens. Listen in as she provides us with the basics of CBT for Suicide Prevention and ways to adapt it effectively for youth. Her experiences inspire hope for providers, clients and families.

Allison Hannah, MSW, LCSW, is a Military Behavioral Health Social Worker for the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP). She assists in the implementation and expansion of the Star Behavioral Health Providers Program (SBHP). SBHP trains civilian behavioral health providers to work with service members, veterans, and their families. Allison is a veteran of the United States Army and United States Army Reserves and provided clinical services within the Child and Family Behavioral Health Services section at an active-duty Army base. She is trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and is a Registered Play Therapist specializing in using evidence-based approaches to address trauma, adjustment and attachment related disorders.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• CBT for Suicide Prevention Training and Consultation at CDP. Visit our website to register: https://deploymentpsych.org/training
• Asynchronous trainings through the DoD Child Collaboration Study. Complete the courses here: https://deploymentpsych.org/DoDKidsStudy
• The 988 Lifeline website includes resources for youth in crisis. https://988lifeline.org/
• Practical for Your Practice voice mail: speakpipe.com/cdpp4p
• Practical for Your Practice email: cdp-podcast-ggg@usuhs.edu

Calls-to-action: For example:

• Get training and consultation in CBT for Suicide Prevention
• Increase your knowledge in adapting evidence-based treatments for youth
• Subscribe to the Practical for Your Practice Podcast
• Subscribe to The Center for Deployment Psychology Monthly Email at https://deploymentpsych.org/CDP-MED-Opt-In